Days Like This

Outtake Bonus II – Charlie's POV

My baby girl is in love. I had thought she was in love with Jacob, but this was the real deal. My first instinct when she told me she was dating this Cullen guy was to caution her about getting too involved at this stage in her life. I knew first-hand about the trials of single parenting. She didn't need a messy romance screwing her up. Her choice in men (Jacob) hadn't been stellar, after all.

All the more reason to be happy Bella found someone to be involved right from the start, I reasoned with myself. Lord knows, Jake didn't stand up to the role. It annoyed the heck out of me that this Cullen guy was always around, except when I was. It was when Bella told me he'd be joining us for dinner that I knew she was in love. My daughter wouldn't subject a passing fling to a meeting with me. I tended to embarrass her - completely unintentionally... usually.

I outdid myself this time. Before the day was done, my daughter knew I had had sex with women other than her mother. Shocking to a child at any age, to say the least. Worse, I'd had hook-ups. Worse still, one of them was with the same woman this Cullen guy had slept with. In all honesty, I was more embarrassed than she could possibly be on this one.

The kids handled the whole conundrum with a grace I surely appreciated. A few quips were made to lighten the tension and then it wasn't spoken of again. I approved of my daughter's choice in best friends. Alice and Jasper looked out for her. They adored Juliet and doted on her even more than I did. And they approved of this Cullen guy. Edward.

I tried to keep this in mind as I examined his moves and analyzed his words during dinner and through coffee. They wouldn't let someone get this close to her if he wasn't good for her. I had to admit, he was pretty damned flawless. He was gentle and thoughtful with Bella - helping her with the meal, making sure she wasn't taking too much on.

Juliet adored him, there was no question. Aside from her mom, he was her favourite person and he seemed thrilled with every moment of time with her. Even the dirty work of diapering didn't put him off. Clearly, he loved this baby. Seeing him with her made me aware of the time I'd lost with Bella. I'd left the baby stuff to her mother. Renee was efficient enough with babies whereas I felt useless. We were too young for the undertaking. These kids... well, sure they were older than me and Renee, but they had a teamwork system going that was enviable. I now wished I'd put more effort in; spent more time bonding with my baby girl while she was this age. Maybe I wouldn't be so damned awkward talking to her now if we'd had the connection Edward had going with my granddaughter.

The more I observed, the more I wondered how Bella could have blown this whole one-night stand thing so out of proportion. Edward was what my parents' generation would have called 'a great catch'. Successful, polite, good-looking and friendly. The fact that he had only been talked into bed by one woman showed he wasn't driven by his crotch. His eyes showed what did drive him - Bella and Juliet. Juliet and Bella. I couldn't decipher which of my girls he looked at with more admiration.

It was with great confidence that he would take care of them, that I excused myself to go meet up with my fellow emergency workers. I asked Edward to accompany me downstairs, to clear the air over our… uh, shared interests aside from Bella and Juliet. He readily agreed that we 'should talk'. I was struck with the feeling he was about to ask my permission to marry my daughter. It didn't seem out of place for this young man. Alice had been right in her evaluation, he was indeed a gentleman.

How the hell did he end up screwing Justine? I knew my excuse… Hmph. I felt the uncomfortable warmth in my face as it reddened… Pretty damn sure his excuse was the same as mine.

He stood silently by my car, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as he stared at the sidewalk. "This Justine thing..."

I held my hands up in submission. "Say no more. We're both guilty of taking a lovely lady up on a night of fun. It is over between you two, right?"

He nodded passionately, his eyes now locked on mine. "I wasn't with Bella then…"

"That's the facts I got…"

"It was only once… we're friendly, but not…"

"You don't have to explain yourself. I'm not about to go into my side of it. I will say, in future, I'll be seeking out more… uh… mature women." I gave him a smirk to ease his stress. He looked like he might toss his dinner on the sidewalk any minute. For the first time, I didn't want to intimidate my daughter's boyfriend.

A smile broke out on his face and his tension drained. He pulled himself up onto the garden wall, looking ready for a longer chat. I leaned against my car across from him, ready for anything. I felt more at ease with him than any of Bella's previous boyfriends.

"What's up, Edward? Seems like you've got something on your mind."

"Well, I did want to apologize for taking this long for us to meet properly. I always seem to be working when Bella makes plans for when you're available. You must have some concerns about me and this relationship."

I was stunned into silence for a moment. Was he asking if I wanted to ask anything of him? Okay, so maybe I didn't want to intimidate him, but I wanted to leave that door open, even for future entertainment value. "Hmm. Well, I have to say that anything to do with my daughter's well-being is concerning to me. Thing is, Bella has grown into one helluva savvy woman. She's far from perfect, but she owns up to her mistakes and she damned well makes things better for herself because of them. I trust her judgement. But I'm always on the sidelines watching. No one's going to mess with those girls. My Bells… well, she's very special."

"She is incredible." His voice was quiet, almost reverent. Dammit… I couldn't mess with this kid. In fact, I was feeling just a bit intimidated myself because he was already a better father than I had been.

"Bella doesn't need anyone. She's fully self-sufficient - always has been. I guess that's my doing. I wasn't around as much as she should have had me, being her only parent and all. I suppose she took more care of me than vice versa."

He gave me a crooked grin. "Maybe that's why she's such a good mom. I think..." He frowned slightly as he hesitated. "I think she's fully aware of the difficulties of single-parenting and you gave her the skills to cope. She's doing great."

I nodded in agreement. "I wanted her to move back home. I don't know how much help I'd have been, I'd most likely just cause her more work but I didn't like the idea of her being all alone with this. You've given me some peace of mind with that, and I thank you. I know you've been there when she most needs someone and that means so much to me."

"I really care about Bella and Juliet." He looked directly at me as he made his statement.

"I can see that." Direct statement. Direct eye contact. This guy meant business. I held his serious gaze and waited to see what else he'd confess.

His grin widened as his cheeks turned red. "You should know this isn't a passing thing - I have plans... we have plans. I actually haven't discussed it all with Bella yet. I wanted to speak with you about it though, so you know my intentions."

Huh. "And what exactly are your intentions?"

He cleared his throat and made direct eye contact once more. "I've had an offer - to go into private practice. It's something I've been saving for and waiting for the right opportunity. It would allow me to have a steady schedule. Be more dependable. I think Bella will be happy about that. However, it would be better to move closer to the practice than to commute. I'd rather have the car available for Bella to use. I would sell my condo and buy another place, larger..."

"And you want my daughter and granddaughter to move with you." I completed his statement for him since it seemed like this ramble could go on indefinitely. "You intend to shack up with Bella. And you want my approval?" I pulled out the intimidation card. It was my parental right.

His eyes darted away only briefly. "I know how you feel about that. But it would be temporary."

I crossed my arms across my chest and raised a curious eyebrow. "Long term intention then, is to marry her?" If that didn't get him shitting his pants, he was in for the long haul.

"Yes sir. If she agrees."

Huh.

"I'd like to ask her to move in with me now. She could save her rent money; my condo is already paid for. We could use that and the money from the sale towards the new house. She would be co-owner. It's better for her, as well...for when she works; I'd be there for Juliet."

Damn! He was serious about this. My initial gut feeling had been right… he's asking my permission to marry my little girl somewhere down the road. Planning ahead.

Huh.

"You're ready to take on a whole family." It was more of a statement than a question. I had no doubt that he could handle the instant family. I had the feeling he had been fulfilling his role in the little family already.

"More than ready." His voice cracked slightly, but his gaze never wavered. "I love your daughter, sir. I know it's early to be talking about this, but I'd marry her tomorrow... I don't have any doubts, I just want to be able to do things right and give her what she needs. Buying the practice and the house and the car...we'll have to save for a proper wedding. The kind she deserves. Whatever she wants. Thing is, my heart tells me we should put that first, but this is the best opportunity for a stable practice that will last our lives. And there's Juliet to think about. She needs a room of her own and she needs to know I'll be there, just like her mom is. She...Juliet...she means the world to me. I want her to know that I've always loved her, I've always been there for her." His voice cracked again and the rims of his eyes were wet. I had to admit, mine were as well. Damn this kid's eyes were intense!

"She knows that already, Edward," I offered assurance. "Anyone can see that."

"I know she has a father. But she needs one who's there with her, every day..."

"She has that as well." As I watched the proud smile growing on his face, I made a mental note to contact a lawyer friend and see what we could do to have Jake relinquish any legal parental rights to Juliet.

"I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you. Bella says you don't like these kinds of talks. I just wanted you to know where I stand and what I have planned for down the road - even though it's rushed and backwards, I only have the best intentions for both of them."

I nodded, stroking my moustache. "Thank you. I'm glad you brought this to me. It was a real pleasure spending the day with you, Edward. I look forward to seeing a lot more of you. Good luck with your plan."

I dialled my friend's number the minute he walked away. Juliet didn't just need a father. She needed this father. For once in my life, I felt confident that I was doing the absolute right thing for my daughter. Bella would never need to second guess her choices and actions as a single parent. She had the perfect support system to give Juliet the very best in life. She must have inherited her mother's taste in a good, solid man to marry, I smirked to myself.


A/N ~ I know, I know... bare with me. Charlie needed to be heard before we move on. And move on we will! Next week, we return to Edward and Bella - PROMISE! ~ SR